Diana Reviews: Step Up - Revelation

Step Up Revelation

Starring: Ryan Guzman, Kathryn McCormick, Misha Gabriel, Peter Gallagher,

Stephen “tWitch” Boss

Ok, let’s start with a confession: I love movies with pretty choreography. And sometimes, I want to watch something that requires no thinking, so I look for something with little plot, some romance and pretty leads. I had watched the previous Step Up movies (still remember you there, Channing Tatum!) and while they have no plot whatsoever, they’re fun. Plus, the new Step Up movie had Kathryn McCormick and tWitch in it—two of my favourite So You Think You Can Dance contestants (still think you should’ve won Season 4, tWitch!)—so I said “What the hell, it can’t be worse than Robogeisha,” and watched it.

By the way, Robogeisha: You know the sort of movie that’s so bad, but so bad it was actually funny? Women sprout swords from their armpits and butt! A giant robot smashes buildings and blood spurts out of the concrete! How hilarious is that? That’s Robogeisha for you.

So, Step Up Revolution. It starts with an illegal dance number in the middle of the road. People stop the traffic and dance, all over the cars and stuff. It’s pretty cool actually, and I squealed when I saw tWitch. He seems like a pretty great guy and I’m always happy to see him on movies and TV. So, there’s the routine, done by “The Mob” and then we’re treated to a glimpse of the lead guy, Sean. As you probably guessed, he’s poor. Oh well. Sean meets Emily (played by the gorgeous Kathryn McCormick), they flirt, standard romance happens. Then—oh no!—she’s the daughter of the businessman who wants to tear down Sean’s neighbourhood!

I won’t lie—the plot is pretty standard and straightforward, but I didn’t really care. The dance numbers more than made up for it. The second one—the one which Emily sees at an art gallery—is breathtaking. There’s a play on colours, on lights, that is just beautiful. Really, you’d want to join The Mob afterwards—which, of course, is what Emily does. And she’s the lead right off the bat! You have to love how appropriate everything is in this movie.

This is where we get our third dance. And it’s so gorgeous! Emily is dressed in this beautiful ruffled dress that makes her movements seem longer. And Kathryn pulls the dancing off so effortlessly… Really, she’s a thrill to watch. Of course, the lead guy (Ryan Guzman) is pretty good as well, but she has this lightness, this range of movement that’s so wonderful and fluid. I remember a choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance who said Kathryn can practically levitate—and watching her dance, you realize that yes, she probably can.

Of course, drama ensues (the people in the Mob find out who Emily is, she doesn’t get a position in a dance company … yada yada), but the dances carry the generic plot through. The two “protest” dances are pretty amazing and well-choreographed—not to mention the last one of them is pretty long and complete. And the last dance between Emily and Sean is so sweet, so heart-wrenching… it sent chills down my spine. Really, they have great chemistry in that number.

I’m not lying when I say I love how conveniently everything is wrapped up in the last three minutes of the movie. The “Oh, I was working for the bad guy, but I just saw you dancing and I actually work for Nike and want to hire you,” type of thing. It’s pretty funny, actually, but considering the type of movie… who cares?

Final verdict: While not ground-breaking or complex, Step Up Revolution is a pretty fun movie to watch. It’s got great routines and the lead actors are so pretty to look at. So, if you’re looking for something with a light, simple plot that’s not hard to follow but has great moments tying everything together, then this is your thing.